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Vivian Charlesworth

Intrasectum
Vivian Charlesworth
The Rhode Island School of Design (2013)

Intrasectum is an immersive installation set in an indecipherable time period. The work explores an alternative hydrotherapy in which insects are injected into a patient intravenously. The piece aims to evoke an atmosphere of peaceful discomfort by the use of jarring colors and a soundtrack of echoing drips. While immersed within the work, the viewers are challenged to create a narrative for themselves, since there is no overt storyline to be found. The use of a live patient is instrumental in creating a feeling of an alternate reality while also asserting that the space is supposed to be used. As the patient sits in the tub, nude, she watches an abstract “informational video” that is meant to describe what her procedure entails. Nevertheless, the video and the message are abstract, lending an air of mystery to the overall artwork.

Vivian Charlesworth is a video installation artist and photographer. In her work she aims to create an experience that compels the audience to re-examine their own presumptions, and to promote a dialogue about current issues of personal invasion, environmental disintegration and social responsibility. She is currently pursuing her M.F.A. in Digital + Media at the Rhode Island School of Design.